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Bactrian
Camel
by Judith Lile and Jim Sneed
The
Bactrian
Camels
The Bactrian camel, introduced in 1908, was a
fine addition to the Humpty Dumpty circus. Six distinct designs are known
- the glass eyes, the painted eyes, the reduced with a low fur top and
painted eyes, the reduced with a high fur top and painted eyes, and the decal eyes
version of the last two. |
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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Jim Kramer
Two-hump Bactrian, glass eyes, carved head
Considerable work went into the glass eyes Bactrian camel. Its head,
neck, and body were hand-tool shaped. The face was deeply recessed. The
nose and mouth were grooved and painted red. The ears were made from
leather and the tail twine. Various shades of brown were used for body
color.

Photo by Judith Lile
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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Jim Kramer
Two-hump Bactrian, painted eyes, molded head
Apparently Schoenhut made a wholesale move from its
carved head, glass eyes version to its painted eye, molded head version.
There is no painted eyes, carved head version as one might think - at
least none has been found.

Photo by Judith Lile
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Photo by Judith Lile
Reduced size, two-humps, painted eyes, flat head
This reduced Bactrian camel was modeled after its
regular size cousin. Its eyes were hand painted in black with a tiny
white reflection on the pupils.
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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Jim Kramer
Reduced size, two-humps, decal eyes
This is the high fur top version of the reduced Bactrian camel. This
one has applied decal eyes. This one was probably among the last reduced size
Bactrian camel produced.

Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Deborah Wesler
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Reduced size, two-humps, decal eyes, flat head
Later, to save the hand-painting of the eyes, decals were applied to
the reduced Bactrian camel. The heads were molded. Tail looks like a
replacement on this one.

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